I would like to send out a semi-scary power-hug to Leacock jury for shortlisting Woefield for the 2012 Leacock Medal for Humour. It’s a terrific line-up this year: On the Outside Looking Indian (what a cover!) by Rupinder Gill, Happiness Economics by Shari Lapena, Most of Me by Robyn Michele Levy and The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt.

It’s an honour to be included in such company and in the company of previous nominees and winners. Canada is a country that produces an abundance of funny writers and the Leacock Medal stands alone in recognizing that crucial piece of our literary culture.

Okay. I’ll stop hugging now. It’s making everyone uncomfortable.

Yes, I will be giving a reading at the VPL, but it won’t be until April 12, 2013. Yes, I was out by ONE YEAR. Sigh.
I’ve got a bad case of revision head and am not to be trusted.
A huge thanks to the organizing committee for Words on the Water in Campbell River. It’s a beautiful festival with a very engaged and friendly audience. It was the perfect way to kick off my spring!

My goodness, I have spent less time online in the last few months than since Mr. Gore invented the internet. (I know, I know, that was the right wing spin machine.) I have a new plan for life, which involves a) becoming aware of my unconscious patterns of behaviour: yes, facebook, you are almost like a nervous tic by now; b) not being run down in the street and flattened by deadlines. Result: less time on the computer. I may write more about this later, but in the meantime, there are a few events coming up, all highly recommended.

March 10 I will be in Seattle giving a workshop on writing dialogue for a chapters of the Eastside Chapter of the Romance Writers of America. Thanks to Jen Hilt for organizing. I’ve been working on all sorts of fun things for this day of writing about talking. For more information or to sign up, please click on the link.

March 23-24 Join us in Campbell River for the Words on the Water festival. I’ll post information about specific events when I have it.

April 12 I will be giving a reading at talk at the Vancouver Public Library, downtown branch. Details to come. Come out and hear a selection from my upcoming novel, Bright’s Light, due out in August. (More about Bright’s Light momentarily.)

April 18-21 I’ll be off to Whitehorse, Yukon to work with young writers as part of the Whitehorse Writer’s Festival.

I was sorry to miss the Galiano Literary Festival last weekend. It sounded like so much fun. Alas, my sickbed called. And called. And called. I have now unplugged my phone and all is well.

xo

I’m most pleased to announce that Woefield is now available in audio format! You can order it from Audible for only one credit.

[insert squealing teletype noise]

Woefield was the top selling book for 2011 at Cafe Books West in Rossland, BC!

Thank you to those fine booksellers and everyone else who championed the inhabitants of Woefield Farm.

And while you’re at it, vote!

(At risk of sounding like I’m trying to influence your vote, I will say that I have signs for Yvonne’s House of Pain, Kate’s Bad Ass Entry, and Hadley’s Three Little Piggies in the yard. It’s too late to vote for Yvonne, but take a close look at the other two and go with your heart.)

I think of this one as the Osama Bin Laden Ginger Takedown House

Why you should always build with ginger and not pretzels or Shreddies, which are crap when the shit gets real.

Follow the competition and see more pictures at the amazing movita beaucoup Ginger 2011.

Please note that Movita also has needle felting on her blog! I find this moving because I am proud mama to three little needle felted (guinea) pigs. Meet Atherton, Brinkley and Ives:

(Okay, so Ives doesn’t have eyes yet, but he never lets that slow him down. Well, maybe a little. Especially when he’s in an unfamiliar area with a lot of obstacles.)

Looking for a good time Tuesday, Dec. 20 at 9:00 a.m. PST/10:00 a.m. MT? I’ll be chatting with hosts Dez Melenka and Melissa Dominelli along with Audrey’s Books’ Sharon Budnarchuk about Woefield via call-in. Join us!

For all those lovers of true stories told live onstage, I’m pleased to announce that my CREW 202 class is hosting the first ever It’s A True Story SLAM at the Vault in Nanaimo this coming Tuesday, December 6, from 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.-ish.

Storytellers include Jessica Skelton, Mary Fraughton, Kaitlyn Till, Louis Stevenson, Sam Connelly, Brittny Ohs, MJ McGeragle, Iona Lister, Carly, Bonny and Martha!

On the judge’s card we have New York Times bestselling author Chevy Stevens, acclaimed author and director of UBC’s Optional Residency MFA in Creative Writing Andrew Gray and editor and professor extraordinaire Joy Gugeler.

The first round of stories blew me away. Seriously. It left me nearly bald or at least thinned my bangs. But in a good way. I hope you’ll join us for the Grand Prize Round.

The Vault is located at 499 Wallace St. in Nanaimo.

(Thanks to Kynan Krogel and Diane Bolt for the poster!)